The field of art to which this invention pertains is packaging, more specifically, packages for surgical sutures.
Packages for surgical sutures are well known in this art. Sutures may be loaded into tray packages having a suture channel. An example of such a package is contained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,902, which is incorporated by reference. Trays with winding channels are also disclosed in commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/143,818 filed on Aug. 31, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,815 which is incorporated by reference. It is also known to package sutures in folder-panel packages. Yet another type of suture package which is known in this are is a labyrinth-type package. Examples of labyrinth packages for sutures and methods of loading such packages are contained in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,401 and 3,490,192, which are incorporated by reference.
Although the packages of the prior art function adequately to contain and maintain sutures, there are disadvantages associated with their use as well. Folder-panel packages typically may impart undesirable memory to the suture, and may not dispense suture reliably. In addition, in folder packages the force to dispense suture is typically higher, and access to the suture when dispensing is less than optimal. Conventional tray packages may also impart undesirable levels of memory to the suture, depending upon the type of suture packaged therein, and may have less than optimal force to dispense and reliability of dispensing. In addition, tray packages may not always provide the best access to the sutures when dispensing. Conventional labyrinth packages may have problems associated with reliability of dispensing, and may also have size limitations. In addition, it is known that existing loading processes for labyrinth packages are burdensome and inefficient.
Accordingly, what is needed in this art are novel packages for surgical sutures, which overcome these deficiencies, along with novel loading processes for such packages.
Therefore, a novel package for surgical sutures is disclosed. The package has a base member. The base member has a top and a bottom, first and second opposed ends and a pair of opposed sides. A plurality of walls extend up from the top of the base member. The walls have tops and bottoms. The walls also have opposed sides. A labyrinth channel is formed by the walls. The channel has a bottom, opposed sides and an open top. The channel has a first open end and a second closed end. A vacuum opening extends through the bottom of the channel in the second end. There is a suture loading opening in communication with the first end. A cover is mounted to the tops of the walls, thereby enclosing the channel such that there is only access to the channel from the suture loading opening or the vacuum opening.
Another aspect of the present invention is an embodiment of the above-described package without a cover.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of loading sutures into the previously-described package of the present invention having a cover. Initially, a suture package is provided. The suture package comprises the package of the present invention. The package has a base member, wherein the base member has a top and a bottom, first and second opposed ends and a pair of opposed sides. A plurality of walls extends up from the top of the base member; the walls have tops and bottoms. The walls also have opposed sides. A labyrinth channel is formed by the walls. The channel has a bottom, opposed sides and an open top. The channel has a first open end and a second closed end. A vacuum opening extends through the bottom of the channel in the second end. A suture loading opening is in communication with the first end. A cover is mounted to the tops of the walls, thereby enclosing the channel such that there is access to the channel only from the suture loading opening or the vacuum opening. Then, a plurality of surgical sutures is moved to an entrance port of a venturi. A compressed air stream is directed into the venturi such that the sutures are entrained in the air stream. The air stream and entrained sutures are directed to the suture loading opening of the package while, simultaneously, a vacuum is pulled on the vacuum port in the second end. And, the sutures are located in the labyrinth channel such that one end of each suture is contained within the second closed end of the channel, and the other end of each suture is located adjacent to the open end of the channel.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by the following description and accompanying drawings.